QuestCinq.com The $5m (£3.2m) prize is supposed to be awarded each year to an elected leader who governed well, raised living standards and then left office. This is the fourth time in five years there has been no winner. A committee member said the group looked “for excellence in governance but in leadership also”. Kenya’s Mwai Kibaki met at least one of the criteria, after he stepped down as president earlier this year. However, his 2007 re-election was tarnished by disputes which turned violent, leading to the deaths of some 1,200 people. His opponent, Raila Odinga, said the poll had…

QuetCinq.com/News The New York Times was asked to give up the materials it had received from Edward Snowden but refused, the paper’s editor Jill Abramson confirmed to the Guardian on Monday. The Times has collaborated with its UK counterpart, as well as ProPublica, in reporting stories based on leaked documents from Snowden. The Guardian decided to have the American titles join its efforts after the British government detained the partner of its journalist Glenn Greenwald and forced it to destroy copies of the Snowden documents under threat of prosecution. The Guardian agreed to destroy the files because it knew it…

QuestCinq.com/News Franz-Peter Tebartz-van Elst – dubbed the “Luxury Bishop” – is facing calls for his resignation after spending 31m euros (£26m; $42m) on his residence. He is also accused of lying about the over-spend on the property in Limburg. In Rome, he will meet the head of the Catholic Church in Germany, Archbishop Robert Zollitsch. It is not clear if Pope Francis will intervene. Since taking office in March, Pope Francis has urged the Church to promote a lifestyle of frugality and simplicity. The allegations have stoked controversy among Catholics in Germany, where Martin Luther launched the Reformation in Europe…

QuestCinq.com Democrat Cory Booker is still up by 10 points over Republican Steve Lonegan in a new poll on the New Jersey Senate race, but the Newark mayor’s lead is shrinking with the special election just two days away. A Monmouth University poll released Monday shows Booker with a 52%-42% lead over Lonegan among likely voters — with 12% saying they are undecided or could change their mind before Wednesday’s special election. In Monmouth’s poll two weeks ago, Booker had a 13-point edge over his GOP rival — down from 16 points this summer. His favorability ratings also dropped for…